Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Keeper of the Light

When Lie heard what Li Le said, he was stunned for a moment. He released her hand, his dark eyes fixed on her, filled with expectation and earnestness.

"Sister, does the 'sun' you speak of really exist?"

"It does! It exists—I have seen it. It's incredibly bright and warm; it can heat blankets until they are toasty," Li Le answered, gazing steadily into Lie's eyes, pronouncing each word with careful conviction.

The lighthouse in this world, though luminous and comforting, generated little heat. It was reminiscent of the luminous pearls from Li Le's previous life: they seemed only capable of shining and dispelling the mist. That faint warmth might prevent someone from freezing to death, but as for sunning sheets and blankets—such a thing was nothing short of a fantasy.

At the very least, Lie had never heard of anything like that.

So he stared at Li Le, words tumbling out in confusion. "Sister... is there really such a lighthouse? Can it dispel the deathly mist? Sister, I'm not doubting you... What I mean is... Do you know how to awaken it?"

He gazed at Li Le, eyes wide with anticipation, waiting for her answer.

Even as a child, Lie understood all too well the devastation the deathly mist brought upon Cloud City. The mist rose and fell in cycles, each lasting six months. During the three-month 'safe period', things were tolerable; though some 'forbidden zones' couldn't be entered lightly, the city's strong could at least exchange supplies with other cities along established routes, avoiding most dangers.

But when the three months of 'deathly silence' arrived and the mist engulfed everything, if there weren't enough resources stockpiled, the city's strong were forced to guard the outskirts and hunt for food simultaneously.

In such circumstances, those strong defenders were the most vulnerable to loss. Today, the casualties in District Two were not unheard of, at least in Lie's memory.

The most notorious event in his recollection was the deathly mist uprising over a decade ago. That calamity seemed to be a taboo in all of Cloud City; Lie knew little of it, having only heard from his father that Brother Bai's parents fell in that battle.

Such wars were often cited by Lie's father in his lessons, classic examples used to instruct him.

It is easy to imagine how deeply these brutal conflicts scarred Lie, and how much hope his sister's 'sun theory' could bring him.

Li Le saw the pain and hope mingling in Lie's expression and instantly understood what he was thinking. But how could she bear to tell him—

Tell him that the golden, brilliant sun belonged to another world, hanging in the skies of that world, sheltering its creatures?

Wouldn't that be unbearably cruel to Lie?

"The 'sun' must be ignited... It requires everyone—all people—to sincerely believe in 'It' to receive its protection..."

Li Le listened to her own words, each syllable coaxing Lie, her voice hoarse and expression sincere.

She had no idea what she was saying, but she knew she didn't want the light in the boy's eyes to fade.

Lie's eyes darkened thoughtfully. "Belief in the 'sun'? Like believing in the lighthouse... Sister, that makes sense. After all, we receive the lighthouse's protection because we believe in it."

"So, if we want the 'sun's' protection, we must offer it our faith?"

Li Le nodded blankly.

Inside, she felt an almost rigid sense of absurdity: would Lie truly believe such an utterly ridiculous notion?

Faith, belief... Wasn't that just superstition?

Could anyone really believe it?

Li Le felt uneasy, forgetting for a moment the stage of belief in this world: ignorant, primitive, almost prehistoric.

Just days ago, Li Le had tried to kindle a flame, to cook a meal—but failed.

For in this world, there was no 'fire'. Fire could not be lit, as though the very concept and substance of fire were absent.

Even when Brother Bai cooked, Li Le had secretly watched—he used certain substances to stew the food for a long time, until it was done.

This world lacked that spark which had propelled human civilization in Li Le's previous life—there was no sun, no moon.

Whenever Li Le thought she was about to forget her past life, the smallest things in this world would remind her: she was not a native of this world.

And now...

Li Le tugged at the corner of her mouth, glanced at Lie, and could only dryly say, "Lie, you’re right—the sun needs 'faith' as well..."

Of course she had to agree!

If she didn't, wouldn't she be contradicting herself in the blink of an eye?

She couldn't afford to lose face in front of Lie!

Lie's eyes brightened at her words, as if he had discovered something, staring intently at Li Le.

Li Le's heart fluttered under his gaze: had Lie seen through her lie?

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Li Le seized the initiative, her voice clear and open, her face calm, betraying nothing of her inner thoughts.

Lie, oblivious to her feelings, simply stared at her with sparkling eyes. "Sister, then... are you the 'Keeper of the Sun'?"